Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Frankly I’d understand if you don’t read anything further, and just skip straight to the recipe. Gooey caramel sandwiched between layers of chocolate chip cookie dough? What more really needs to be said? I mean, I could tell you about how the salt in the caramel makes the chocolate flavor explode in every bite, or how the chewy texture of the bars perfectly mixes with the caramel, but if you’re like me, you’re probably too busy daydreaming about how to make sure you can keep every rich, sweet, chocolately bite to yourself…mmmm….

Sorry, where was I again? Oh right. The recipe. Trust me, you need these in your life.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

A delicious blend of salted caramel and chocolate chip cookies, in a convenient bar form!

Ingredients

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

10 ounces soft caramel squares, unwrapped

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square pan with tin foil, spray with cooking spray, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, mix together the melted butter and sugars on medium speed until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave on high until the caramels are melted, stirring every 30 seconds. This will take 2-3 minutes.

Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Pour the hot caramel over the dough cookie dough and spread into an even layer, leaving about ½ inch around the border. Scoop the remaining cookie dough into balls and palm flat. Lay the flattened balls over the caramel until the caramel is covered. Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the caramel layer to set. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.